It’s a late night and I’m finishing a liter of yerba mate. I’m using a Cyprus Cup and enjoying Canarias Traditional (yellow bag) blended with peaches. The water temperature is 150 degrees fahrenheit. As an Entrepreneur, I need something that’ll keep me on my toes without crashes and jitters (unlike coffee). I’ve experimented with nootropics […]

From robust, full-bodied, and muscular, to soft, gentle, and light, there’s a yerba mate strength for everyone. But what do I mean by “strength”? Well, today we’ll discuss strength in terms of effects, both mental and physiological—how yerba mate affects the mind and body. Though, many a seasoned mate drinkers have come to know that […]

Ximango Tradicional Erva Mate Review

For the untrained palate, Ximango Traditional is nearly identical — in body and taste — to its premium counterpart, Ximango Special Reserve (Reserva Especial). The discernible difference lies in the smoothness factor: while both mates show good levity of body, brightened by a crispy clean grassiness, Traditional has more of a bite and less suaveness.

Ximango takes no great effort in explaining the difference between the two styles, only noting that the Special Reserve comes from “a selection of the best native yerba mate plants.”

For the mate aficionado, such subtleties, as thin as they are, are important. On the nose, you’ll still experience wonderfully soft bready and oaty depth, with a patina of marine salt. Slightly less creamy than the Reserve, the flavor is richer with dark chocolate essence and lingering hints of Whoppers candy, marshmallow, Lucky Charms cereal, Ovaltine maltiness, and dark hot cocoa.

Notwithstanding the robust nature of this mate, it’s still a light body with a relatively short cycle — patented characteristics of local erva mate eponymous of the Rio Grande do Sol, Southern Brazil.

Each sip is an expression of sylvan elements, clearly telling the fecund soil and earthy terroir of the region. All it takes is one sip to recognize that Brazilian malty creaminess.